Machine for ballasting railway-tracks



D. J. DOBSON. MACHINE FOR BALLASTING RAILWAY TRACKS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. I0, 1920.

Patented May 4, 1920.

8 SHEETSSHEET I.

\6 I QK L R: I WQ OMB D. J. DO-BSON.

MACHINE FOR BALLASIING RAILWAY TRACKS.

Patenwd May 4,1920.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 10, 1920.

8 SHETS-SHEET 3.

C) 8 vwemlio'z Gttoznu,

D. J. DOBSON.

MACHINE FOR BALLASTING RAILWAY TRACKS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. I0, 1920.

Patented May 4, 1920.

8 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

D. .I. DOBSON. MACHINE FOR BALLASTING RAILWAY TRACKS.

APPLICATION FlLED FEB. 10- I920.

Patented May 4,19 20@ 8 SHEETSSHEET 5.

D. J. DOBSON.

MACHINE FOR BALLASTING RAILWAY TRACKS. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 10, 1920.

1,338,681 Patented May 4, 1920.

8 SHEETS-SHEET 6- r LP REQ- R 53 N LL 8% @Mmw D. J. DOBSON.

MACHINE FOR BALLASTING RAILWAY TRACKS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 10, 1920.

1,338,681. 7 Patented 4,1920.

8 SH HEE D. J. DOBSON.

MACHINE FOR BALLASTING RAILWAY TRACKS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 10. 1920.

1,338,681. Patented May 4,1920.

8 SHEETSSHEET 8.

I x W? I 1Q 5 I16 159 1? 2: W15 Z: l2

54" I I H 4 anucnfoz DANIEL JEFFERSON DOBSON, OF GREENLEE STATION, NORTH CAROLINA.

MACHINE FOB BALLASTING RAILWAY-TRACKS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented. May 4, 1920.

Application filed. February 10, 1920. Serial No. 357,651.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, DANIEL J. DoBsoN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Greenlee Station, in the county of McDowell and State of North Carolina, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Machines for Ballasting Railway-Tracks, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawing.

My improvement relates particularly to equipment to be used for putting additional material beneath the ties of railroad tracks, such material being earth or sand or ballast, the operation involving the bringing of the track into a higher position proportional to the amount of new material placed beneath the ties. The object of the invention is to provide an equipment or apparatus whereby such work may be done rapidly and by a relatively small number of men and with a minimum interference with the operation of trains over the part of the track on which the work is being done.

The apparatus is supported by wheels adapted to rest upon and run on railway tracks, including the track on which the work is to be done; and the apparatus is adapted to be quickly moved along the track upon which it is being used to and upon a side track when a train is to pass on the main track, and afterward be quickly returned to resume work.

As an example of an apparatus of this type, reference is made to Letters Patent of the United States, No. 1,325,356, granted to me December 16, 1919, for an improvement in machines for ballasting railway tracks.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 and Fig. 1 together show. a side elevation of a machine embodying my improvement, Fig. 1 showing the right hand part and Fig. 1 the left hand part of the machine; Fig. 2 is a plan of the portion of the machine shown by Fig. 1;

- Fig. 3 is a bottom view of the part of the structure shown by Fig. 2;

Fig. l is an upright section on the line, l--i, of Fig. 1, looking toward the left;

Fig. 5 is an upright section on the line, f5, of Fig. 1, looking toward the right;

Fig. 6 is a horizontal section on the line, 66, of Figs. 4 and 5;

Fig. 7 is a horizontal section on the line, 77, of Fig. 1'; I

Fig. 8 is a perspective of one of the brackets between which the alinement wheel cage is supported;

Fig. 9 is a perspective of the alinement wheel cage;

Fig. 10 is a perspective of the alinement wheel frame;

Fig. 11 is an upright section on the line. 11-l1, of Fig. 5, looking toward the right;

Fig. 12 is an upright section on the line, l212, of Fig. 6, looking toward the right;

Fig. l3'is' an upright section on the line, 13-l3, of Fig. 1 looking toward the left Fig. 14 is an upright section on the line, 147-1 1, of Fig. 1, looking toward the right.

The apparatus resembles a fiat car, and, for convenience in description, may be called a car. And during operation it is coupled to the rear of a ballast supply car, and forward of the latter is a locomotive to pull the two cars. Or the locomotive may be at the rear to push the cars.

Referring to said drawings, A, A, are trucks similar to the trucks ordinarily used in freight cars. These trucks have wheels, A adapted to run on the ordinary track rails, R. The trucks support a horizontal body, B, which is. similar to the body of an ordinary flat car. One of the trucks, A, is placed under each end of said body in the usual manner. The length of said body is sufficient to provide ample space between the two trucks to permit lifting the portion of the track between the trucks and to make room for the operative members of the apparatus most directly concerned with the work to be performed.

The body, B, comprises longitudinal sills, B the outer of which come close to the edges ofthe floor of the body. A head sill, B extends across each end of the body, B, and rests against the ends of the sills, B Each end'of each head sill projects a little beyond the side sills of the body. Each such projecting end forms a support for one end of'a rod, D said rod being horizontal and lying parallel to the outer face of the adjacent longitudinal sill, B and extending through the head, B

At the outer face of the head sill, B :1. hand wheel, D, is threaded around said rod. At the opposite side of said head said rod extends through a guide sleeve, D which is fixed on the outer face of the sill, B To the adjacent end of said rod is attached one end of a chain, 1)", which extends over a guide roller, D, mounted on the outer face of said side sill. The opposite end of said chain is attached to one end of a stay rod, D which has between its ends a turn buckle, D the turning of which varies the length of said rod. Said rod extends obliquely downward below the level of the track rails and has at its lower end an eye, D which surrounds a horizontal journal, E seated on-the adjacent end of a tie-support, E, the tie-support comprising a flat, horizontal body plate, E placed transversely to the length of the car body, B, and being long enough to project outward at each side of the track beyond theends of the ties, T. Thus each end of said plate is brought below the adjacent end oi the floor of the car body, 17 The ournals, R are on the middle line of the body plate. A. crosspin, D extending through the journal, E holds the eyes, D on the journal. On each end of said plate is a horizontal cross-head, E In the particular form shown by the drawings, said cross head is composed of an angle bar having one flange extending below and riveted to the plate, E and having the other flange extending upward. A clevis, E is coupled to each end of the upright, flange of each cross-head, the clevis pin extending through said flange. Said clevis extends upward and through an eye, E, on an upright rod, E which extends upward through a guide plate, E resting on the car body. A wheel, E, is screw-threaded around said rod above said plate. By means of said wheel, said rod may be raised or lowered for tilting the tie-support on the journals, E

()11 the body plate, E are transverse nose bars, E having their ends projecting beyond the side edges of the body plate. The ends of said bars are tapered downward to adapt them to reach beneath the ties while the machine moves lengthwise on the track during its Working. Said bars are of such length and are so placed as to make them reach simultaneously beneath two or more ties, T, in order that when the machine is moving lengthwise on the track, the tie support will not disengage from one tie until it has extended beneath the next for-- ward tie -for the support oi the latter. The nose bars may be or" such number as is deemed desirable. The tie-support serves to li t the track progressively while the machine'i's moving e'ndwise on the track. The height of the tie-support may be varied by turning the turn-buckles, D or the wheels, D, on the rods, D This may be done at one end of the tiesupport independently of the other end, whereby the track may be held level on straight stretches and inclined in. the proper direction on curves.

The function of the upright rods, E is to fix the elevation of the ends of the nose bars,

in order that the operators of the machine may cause the forward ends of the nose bars to travel forward at a chosen elevation.

F or controlling horizontal positioning of i the rails, a pair oi alining wheels, F, F, supported upon and spaced from each other by an axle, F are used. While the machine is working one of said wheels normally rests upon one and the other on the other of said rails. The ends of the axle, F rest in bearings, F which are confined in the upright guide-ways, F formed on the end plates, F which are located between and secured to the side channel members, W. A coiled spring, F, is seated upon the bearing, F in the guideways. The members, F and F, form a rectangular frame which is shiftable endwiseparallel to the axle, -in the vertically adjustable cage, G, (Fig. 9). Said cage has spider-form end members, G and longitudinal side members, G on the inner face of each of which is a horizontal slide-way, G in which rests one oi the side embers, F of the horizontally shiftable frame above described. On the outer upright face of each side member, Q of the cage, G, are two upright tongues, G which rest slidably in upright grooves, H formed in brackets, H, which are immovably secured to the lower face of the car bot y.

Each of the spiders, G has an interiorly screw-threaded hub, G in which rests a screw, G. The inner end of each such screw rests against the adjacent end of the axle, F By retracting one of said scr'ws and driving the other forward, the axle and its wheels and the rectangular frame, F. are correspondingly driven horizontally and transversely to the length of the car. Thus the wheels, F, may be brought into accurate alinement with the wheels, A of the trucks, or the wheels, F, may be forced out of alinement with the truck Wheels to conform to the curvature of the track, it the machine is working on a curve.

Above each spider, G a bridge piece, G extends across the Page and has one end resting upon and secured to one of the side members,G while the other end of said bridge piece rests upon and is secured to the snjzr cent end of the other side member, G To the middle of each oi? said bridge pieces is coupled the lower end of; an uprigl'lt rod, ii, the upper end of which e ids through a bearing block, G, which is s. orted by the car body. The upper end 015 said rod screw threaded and surrounded an interiorly screw-threaded wheel, G By turning :"llCl wheel in the ap iropriate direction, the. rod, G may be raised or lira-cred for raising or lowering the cage, he tongues, G, are I ado sui'liciently free in the grooves, H

Lit such tilting.

. ly midway between ends 01" B, track lifting means are to be th e the

body,

plied to said body. For such means referonce is here made to the tongs or grippers shown and described in my said Patent, No. 1,325,356. The function of those tongs is to engage the ails, R, and lift and support them until the tie-support, E, has been inserted. and connected. After said support has been inserted and connected, the tongs are to be released from the rails and then drawn upward far enough to clear the rails when the machine is moved endwise on the t 'ack.

V hen the machine is to be put to work on a track, the track is first raised, by means of said tongs, high enough to permit inserting the tie-support beneath the ties, said support having first been freed from the clevises, E*, and the eyes, I), of the rods, D Then said support has been thus inserted under the track, the rods. D are again attached to the tie-support. Then the turn-buckles, D or the wheels, D. are turned to shorten the stay rods, D to lift the tie-support into its working position. Then the forward clevises, E, are again connected to the cross-heads and the tidsupport adjusted on the journals, E After that has been done, the tongs are to be released and then lifted to clear the rails.

lVhen the eyes. D, are free from the j ournals, E the stay rods, D are to be moved upward and laid on supporting brackets, D",

on the adjacent side sill, B this being done in order that the rods will clear the track when the machine moved, while not working.

Between each truck, A, and the adjacent bracket. H, is an. appliance for spreading the ballast or other filling material lying upon the track above the ties, as will now be described. These two appliances are duplicates. iut they are reversed in direction, each being directed toward the adjacent truck. Hence the description of one of these devices will answer for both. I. I, are wheels resting on the track rails, R. I is an axle extending through said wheels and into bearings, 1 in the ends of a rectangular horizontal frame, F. At the front of said. frame (toward the adjacent truck) are two oblique plates, 1 resembling mold-boards, said plates meeting each other in the middle u n'ight longitudinal plane of the apparatus and extending thence oli liquely outward, and rearward across the corners of the frame, 1 and beyond. said corners about as far as the ends of the ties. An angle plate, I, is placed over the front of the meeting edges of the plates, l. to constitute a nose or shin for double mold board structure formed by the two plates, I, The outer ends of the plates, 1*, are joined to the corners of the rectangular frame, F, by means of bracket members, 1 Each plate, I, has in its lower edge a notch, I, to receive the adjacent rail, B, when the spreader is in its lower or working position. At the junction of the upper edges of the plates, 1', a hanger, I is attached to the plates, 1*, 1n the angle formed by said plates. A link, I", is coupled by its lower end to said hanger. The upper end of said link is coupled to the arm, 1 of a horizontal rock shaft, 1 resting in bearings, I secured to the lower side of the car body. Each end of said shaft projects outward beyond the car body and supports a quadrant lever, 1 which works on a quadrant rack, I Above the rectangular frame, 1 is a rock shaft, 1, resting in bearings, I, applied to the lower face of the car body. Above each end of the frame, F, the rock shaft, 1 has an arm, T". To each of said arms is coupled the upper end of a link, I, the lower end of each such link being coupled to an eye, I, mounted on the frame, I. A quadrant lever, 1 is fixed on each end of said rock shaft, 1 and works on a tooth quadrant, 1 The connections between the quadrant levers, I and 1 and the spreader structure are such as to bring said links into the lower position when the quadrant levers are at one limit of their throw and to bring said links into their upper position when the quadrant lovers are at the other limit of their throw. Thus the quadrant levers may be set to allow the wheels, I, I, to rest on the track rails and to bring the lower edges of the spreader plate, I, as near the upper face of the ties as may be desired; or the quadrant levers may be so set as to raise said wheels, I, and the frame, 1 and the mold board plates, 1*, entirely clear of the track.

The rock shaft, 1 is preferably set forward of the spreader (toward the adjacent truck), in order that the link, I", may slant rearward toward its lower coupling and thus adapt said link to draw diagonally on the spreader devices.

When the apparatus is moving along the track without working, both of these spreading devices are to be in their upper positions. When the apparatus is working, the spreading apparatus which is at the time forward is to be in its lower position.

a In operation, my improved apparatus is to be coupled to the rear end of a ballast supply car, a car which carries ballast or other filling material, said material to be discharged progressively upon the track while the train is moving forward, the quantity of such material being about as much as is needed for the filling. Forward of the ballast supply car is to be a locomotive for moving these cars. Or the locomotive may be at the rear and push the cars. During the movement of the apparatus, the oblique plates, I, of the forward spreader come into contact with the filling material deposited upon the track by the supply car, and said plates, acting in sidewise directions, spread said material to approximate evenness with the upper faces of the ties between the rails and outside of the rails. At the same time, the tie-support, D,

holds in its elevated position the part of the track which is between the trucks, A, and the filling material goes downward between the ties and into the spaces under the ties.

Under some conditions it may be desirable to leave the rods, E disconnected from the tie-support, the support being thus left free to rock to adapt itself to irregularities on the under-surface of the track while moving beneath the ties. Operation in this form may be specially desirable when the nose bars, E, are made long enough to extend beneath more than two ties, so that there is no tendency to rock or tilt the tie-support out of its working position.

I claim as my invention,

1. In an apparatus of the nature de scribed, the combination of a car body, wheels supporting said body, a tie-support adapted to be placed crosswise of a track and beneath the ties, stay rods tiltably supporting said tie-support, and means for holding the tie-support at a chosen inclination, substantially as described.

2. In an apparatus of the nature described, the combination of a car body, wheels supporting said body, a tie-support adapted to be placed crosswise of a track and beneath the ties, adjustable stay rods tiltably supporting the tie-support, and means for holding the tie-support at a chosen inclination, substantially as described.

3. In an apparatus of the nature described, the combination of a car body, wheels supporting said body, a tie-support adapted to be placed crosswise of a track and beneath the ties, stay rods joined to the car body adjacent its ends and detachably joined to the tiesupport for tiltably supporting the tie-support, and means for holding the tie-support at a chosen inclination, substantially as described.

4. In an apparatus of the nature de scribed, the combination of a car body, wheels supporting said body, a tie-support adapted to be placed crosswise of the track and beneath the ties and comprising transverse nose bars, and stay rods tiltably supporting said tie-support and means for holding the tie-support at a chosen inclination,

substantially as described.

5. In an apparatus of the nature described, the combination of a car body, wheels supporting said body, a tie-support adapted to be placed crosswise of a traclc and beneath the ties and comprising a plate, cross arms, cross heads, stay rods coupled to said tie-support for tiltably supporting the tie-support, and means joined to the cross heads for holding the tie-support at a chosen inclination, substantially as described.

6. In an apparatus of the nature desrribed, the combination of a car body, wheels supporting said body, a tie-support adapted to be placed crosswise of a track and beneath the ties and comprising a plate, cross arms, and journals, and stay rods coupled to said journals, and means for holding the tie-support at a chosen inclination, substantially as described.

7. In an apparatus of the nature described, the combination of a car body, wheels supporting said body, a tie-support adapted to be placed crosswise of the track and beneath the ties, stay rods tiltably supporting said tie-support and upright members adjustably supported on the car body and joined to the tie-support for holding said support at a chosen inclination, substantially as described.

8. In an apparatus of the nature described, the combination of a car body, wheels supporting said body, a tie-support adapted to be placed crosswise of a track and beneath the ties, adjustable stay rods tiltably supporting the tie-support, and up right members adjustably supported by the car body for holding the tie-support at a chosen inclination, substantially as described.

9. In an apparatus of the nature described, the combination of a car body,

wheels supporting said body, a tie-support adapted to be placed crosswise of a track and beneath the ties, oblique stay rods joined to the car body adjacent its ends and detachably joined to the tie-support for'shiftably supporting the tie-support, and upright members supported by the car :body and forming an adjustable connection between the car body and said tie-support, substanti ally as described.

10. In an apparatus of the nature described, the combination with a car body, and wheels supporting said body, of means located intermediate the ends of said body for lifting the track while the car is moving along said track, means for forcing the track rails laterally for alinement of said rails, said means comprising a cage, means for confining the cage to upright movement, means for adj ustably supporting the cage in its upright path, a pair of wheels, an axle supported for endwise movement in the cage, and means for adjusting said axle endwise, substantially as described.

11. In an apparatus of the nature dc scribed, the combination with a car body and wheels supporting said body, of means located intermediate. the ends of said body for lifting the track while the car is moving along said track, means for forcing the track rails laterally for alinement of said rails, said means comprising a cage, means for confining said cage to upright movement, means for adjustably supporting the cage in its upright path, a frame supported within the cage for horizontal movement transversely to the car body, an axle, sup ported in said. frame, wheels on said axle, and means for adjusting said axle endwise, substantially as described.

12. In an apparatus of the nature described, the combination with a car body and wheels supporting said body, of means located intermediate the ends of said body for lifting the track while the car is moving along said track, means for forcing the track rails laterally for alinement of said rails, said means comprising transverse brackets on the bottom of the car body, a cage located between said brackets, the cage and the brackets being relatively tongued and grooved to confine the cage to upright move ment, means for adjustably supporting the cage in its upright path, an axle confined within the cage for endwise movement,

means for adjusting the'axle endwise, and

wheels on the axle, substantially as de scribed.

13. In an apparatus of the nature de scribed, the combination with a car body and wheels supporting said body, of means located intermediate the ends of said body for lifting the track while the car is moving along said track, means for forcing the track rails laterally for alinement of said rails, said means comprising a cage, means for adjustably supporting the cage in its upright path, a pair of wheels, an axle supported for endwise movement in the cage, and screws on the cage for adjusting said axle endwise, substantially as described.

14. In an apparatus of the nature described, the combination with a car body and wheels supporting said body, of means located intermediate the ends of said body for lifting the track while the car is moving along said track, means for forcing the track rails laterally for alinement of said rails, said means comprising a cage, means for confining said cage to upright movement, means for adjustably supporting the cage in its upright path, a frame supported within the cage for horizontal movement transversely to the car body, an axle supported in said frame, screws on the cage for adjusting said axle endwise, and wheels on said axle, substantially as described.

15. In an apparatus of the nature de scribed, the combination with a car body and wheels for supporting said body on a railway track, of means for progressively lifting the track when the car is moving along said track, and means for spreading loose material lying on the track, said means comprising a mold board structure having its lower edge notched to receive the track rails, substantially as described.

16. In an apparatus of the nature described, the combination with a car body and,

ing the track when the car is moving along said track, and means supported on the track rails for spreading loose material lying on the track, said means comprising a moldboard structure having its lower edge notched to receive the track rails, substan tially as described.

17. In an apparatus of the nature described, the combination with a car body and wheels for supporting said body on a railway track, of means for progressively lifting the track when the car is moving along said track, and means for spreading loose material lying on the track, said means comprising wheels adapted to rest upon the track rails and oblique spreading plates com bined with said wheels and notched at their lower edges to receive the track rails, subr stantially as described.

18. In an apparatus of the nature described, the combination with a car body and wheels for supporting said body on a railway track, of means for progressively lifting the track when the car is moving along said track, means for spreading loose material lying on the track, said means comprising a mold-board structure having its lower edge notched to receive thetrack rails, and means for lifting the spreading means out of engagement with the track, substantially as described.

19. In an apparatus of the nature de scribed, the combination with a car body and wheels for supporting said body on a railway track, of means for progressively lifting the track when the car is moving along saidtrack, and means for spreading loose material lying on the track, said means comprising a frame extending crosswise of the track, wheels applied to said frame and adapted to rest on the rails of the track, and oblique plates associated with said frame and having their lower edges notched to re ceive the track rails, substantially as described.

20. In an apparatus of the nature described, the combination of a car body, wheels supporting said body, a tie-support adapted to be placed crosswise of a track and beneath the ties, and means supported by the car for supporting the tie-support to permit rocking of said support on a line parallel to the length of the support, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signedmy name, this31 day of Jan, in the year one thousand nine hundred and twenty.

DANIEL JEFFERSON DOBSON. 

